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Nelson Figueroa, a member of the Diamondbacks organization, limited Team USA to two hits in six innings.

WILFREDO LEE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Puerto Rican players celebrate after beating the United States and clinching a berth in the semifinals, which begin Sunday in San Francisco. Puerto Rico plays the Dominican Republic today for seeding purposes. Both teams have advanced.

Nelson Figueroa, a member of the Diamondbacks organization, limited Team USA to two hits in six innings.

WILFREDO LEE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Puerto Rican players celebrate after beating the United States and clinching a berth in the semifinals, which begin Sunday in San Francisco. Puerto Rico plays the Dominican Republic today for seeding purposes. Both teams have advanced.

MIAMI - Once again, the United States could only watch as an opposing pitcher celebrated at the World Baseball Classic.

This time it was 38-year-old right-hander Nelson Figueroa, who became the pride of Puerto Rico on Friday night when he led his team into the semifinals and eliminated the Americans 4-3.

After Figueroa threw his last pitch to end the sixth inning, he leaped off the mound with a hoot like a kid at recess, then hugged catcher Yadier Molina.

"We were supreme underdogs against that lineup," said Figueroa, who signed a minor-league contract with the Diamondbacks in December. "It was motivation to show them what kind of pitcher I was."

On Thursday, the Dominicans dominated the Americans, who endured a scoreless streak of 14 innings spanning the two losses, and Figueroa limited them to two singles in six shutout innings.

The Americans have still not won the WBC - or even reached the semifinals - in three tries.

J.C. Romero escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and retired the final four batters for his first save. Center fielder Angel Pagan caught the final out, triggering a pileup of Puerto Ricans behind the mound.

"When I caught that ball, I was thinking about my country all the way," Pagan said. "We overcome what everyone expected. I think nobody expected us to be this far, but it's about what we believe, and we believe we can go all the way."

The Puerto Ricans advanced for the first time to the semifinals, which begin Sunday in San Francisco. They will play the Dominican Republic today in the final game in Miami, which will determine seedings for the semifinals.

Two-time defending champion Japan and the Netherlands round out the final four.

Figueroa (2-0) has a modest 20-35 record for six teams in nine major-league seasons, with his most recent big-league game in May 2011. He pitched in Triple-A last year and appeared in two spring training games with the Diamondbacks this year before joining Puerto Rico for the WBC.

"I don't throw very hard, but I pitch inside," he said. "It was a great exhibition of what can be done without a plus fastball. It was an opportunity to demonstrate that good pitching beats good hitting."

Trailing 4-1, the Americans tried to rally in the eighth. Rollins and Phillips singled off Jose De La Torre, and Ryan Braun followed with an RBI double. Joe Mauer walked to load the bases, and with two out, Fernando Cabrera walked Ben Zobrist to force in a run and make it 4-3.

Eric Hosmer grounded out against Romero, who followed with a perfect ninth.